6 Slow Cooker Recipes for Winter Days

If your slow cooker has a permanent place on the counter during these cold winter months, you’re doing things right.

Mine hasn’t vacated its post either, turning out batches of beans, chili, oatmeal and pea soup. January is flying by, and sometimes I feel as though our slow cooked dinners are the only way I am surviving the busy days.

In case you’re looking for a few new ideas, allow me to spotlight a few recipes from the archives. Simple Bites is coming up on five whole years of recipes, and there are plenty that are well worth remembering. Here are six of my favourites for cold days.

Veal Pot Roast with Root Vegetables (slow cooker) | Simple Bites #recipe #slowcooker #dinner #eatseasonal

1. Sunday Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

For Sunday dinner why not make a slow cooked veal or beef roast, seasoned with orange zest and surrounded by an assortment of root vegetables. The mild flavours of winter root vegetables lend themselves to a slow cooker preparation and complement proteins like veal and chicken without overwhelming them.

Get the recipe: Sunday Pot Roast with Root Vegetables.

Slow-Cooker Chicken in Milk with Cinnamon and Orange

2. Slow Cooker Chicken in Milk with Cinnamon, Orange & Savory

This chicken is infused with orange zest, whole cinnamon and a dash of savory, making for a fragrant and tender dinner on a cold winter night. If you serve it with a side of cranberry sauce, it tastes like Christmas dinner- except without any of the stress and a tenth of the work.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken in Milk with Cinnamon, Orange & Savory.

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken with Vegetables

3. Slow Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken with Vegetables

Chicken and vegetables in the slow-cooker is pretty predictable, but this rich and comforting dish is one of my most popular recipes. It falls on the very mild side of spice (as my commentors love to point out) because my children still like their food without heat, but feel free to jazz your version up with additional ginger, garlic and chillies.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken with Vegetables.

Slow Cooker Chickpea Stew with Apricots & Turnip

4. Rustic Chickpea Stew with Apricots & Turnip

You’ve probably got every ingredient on hand for this vegan stew, so should you be eating from the pantry, as we are, dinner is sorted for tonight. It comes together quickly and is even better on the second day, so make a double batch.

Get the recipe: Rustic Chickpea Stew with Apricots & Turnip.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham | Simple Bites #soup #slowcooker

5. Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

Split pea soup just feels right this time of the year, especially when paired with skillet cornbread.This one is strapping and stocky, full of tender morsels of ham and diced carrot.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham.

Slow Cooker Lazy Cabbage Rolls Recipe

6. Slow Cooker Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Brown Rice & Herbs

This dish offers the hearty comfort flavors of my mother’s cabbage rolls, but with a quicker preparation time. Layering the ingredients together in the slow-cooker takes all of five minutes, and they really benefit from the long gentle cooking time of the slow-cooker. Just add sour cream and you’re all set.

Reader Allison says: “I just wanted to tell you that I think this recipe is the best recipe I found on the web in 2012! I have it in the slow cooker for dinner tonight again, and I think I’ve made it almost weekly since you posted it. Really, really LOVE this one.”

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Brown Rice & Herbs.

So what’s for dinner next?

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12 Comments

  1. Sometimes I think bloggers don’t understand how incredibly helpful they really are, so just want to say THANK YOU! These types of posts are invaluable when there’s little time but the motivation is still there for getting a good dinner on the table. I’ll definitely be making those cabbage rolls.

  2. Now I can’t decide which one to try first, but I think the Vegan Rustic Chickpea Stew sounds like a great start. My family isn’t Vegan, but we try to incorporate more of them because they’re so healthy!

  3. I’ve been thinking of buying a slow cooker and if I win the KitchenAid giveaway, the first thing I’d try is the Lazy cabbage rolls. Every time I make the traditional ones, which is every few years, I forget how much time it takes to prepare them.